And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
When Samuel grew old the work of judging became too great for him alone, so he appointed his two sons to share the judicial responsibility with him. Their appointment had the people's full assent, and they were assigned to serve at Beersheba near the southern border and at Bethel while he continued to judge at Ramah. He made them judges while he himself was still God's appointed leader, before God had released him.
His sons did not follow his example of faithful and impartial service but turned from his ways. They were dishonest and double-minded, pursuing gain and loving reward, taking bribes, favoring the unrighteous and perverting justice. Though corrupt, they were not as wicked as Eli's sons. Their arrogance and injustice stirred complaints among the people, who were especially concerned about threats to their temporal interests.
Their failure came through falling under the temptation of bad example, but it did not make it necessary for others to forsake the Lord. Their injustice later gave the people a pretext to demand a king, though Samuel would have removed them promptly if their misconduct had been brought to his attention. The complaints served a change in government that many had long desired from discontent and pride and from a deliberate desire to change Israel's form of rule.
The demand for a king that followed was a decision to discard Samuel and to refuse God's jurisdiction, management and control. It was a choice to be ruled by a king in order to be like other nations and to be recognized by the world, leaving their first love and God's counsel. It brought a controversy with God upon themselves by replacing His leading with unsanctified human judgment, worldly policy, and plans that never entered God's mind. The same course is repeated whenever those in charge of God's work lack experience in His power and workings, walk in spiritual blindness, and by worldly reasoning separate the work from God's rule and blessing and safety.
When Samuel grew old the work of judging became too great for him alone, so he appointed his two sons to share the judicial responsibility with him. Their appointment had the people's full assent, and they were assigned to serve at Beersheba near the southern border and at Bethel while he continued to judge at Ramah. He made them judges while he himself was still God's appointed leader, before God had released him.
His sons did not follow his example of faithful and impartial service but turned from his ways. They were dishonest and double-minded, pursuing gain and loving reward, taking bribes, favoring the unrighteous and perverting justice. Though corrupt, they were not as wicked as Eli's sons. Their arrogance and injustice stirred complaints among the people, who were especially concerned about threats to their temporal interests.
Their failure came through falling under the temptation of bad example, but it did not make it necessary for others to forsake the Lord. Their injustice later gave the people a pretext to demand a king, though Samuel would have removed them promptly if their misconduct had been brought to his attention. The complaints served a change in government that many had long desired from discontent and pride and from a deliberate desire to change Israel's form of rule.
The demand for a king that followed was a decision to discard Samuel and to refuse God's jurisdiction, management and control. It was a choice to be ruled by a king in order to be like other nations and to be recognized by the world, leaving their first love and God's counsel. It brought a controversy with God upon themselves by replacing His leading with unsanctified human judgment, worldly policy, and plans that never entered God's mind. The same course is repeated whenever those in charge of God's work lack experience in His power and workings, walk in spiritual blindness, and by worldly reasoning separate the work from God's rule and blessing and safety.